The trial of a former Bridgewater Police Chief has come to an end.
John Collyer was sentenced to 15 months in jail for sexual exploitation of a minor Wednesday during a court hearing at the Bridgewater Provincial Courthouse.
The charge stemmed from an incident dating back to May 2016, and carried a potential maximum of 14 years incarceration.
Before sentencing was delivered, the court heard impact statements from both the victim and her mother, whose identities are protected by a publication ban.
The victim said she felt very close to Collyer in the beginning, but noticed his behavior change around her 15th birthday, noting he would say inappropriate things to her regularly.
She said she enjoyed the time she spent with Collyer and his wife, and didn’t want to ruin it, so she kept quiet about the remarks.
The victim also made reference to a specific instance between she and Collyer, asking him directly,”Do you remember that day at the beach by the big rock thing? Do you remember what you said to me? I do.”
She described the trauma she has endured from the incident and case, stating Collyer violated her and “destroyed the crazy, happy and loving little girl I once was,” at one point calling him a monster.
On the stand, the victim’s mother said she felt she opened up too much to Collyer and shared too much information about her daughter with him.
“I feel like I gave him a manual on how to violate my daughter,” she said at the hearing.
The pair also mentioned the harassment and ridicule they’ve faced since the case started, saying they can’t go into the community without feeling judged.
Both the victim and her mother said they feel guilty, like they failed each other, and deal with a lot of self-hate, but in her decision Justice Mona Lynch said “I want to be clear, there is only one person responsible and to blame, and that’s John Collyer.”
Lynch said Collyer’s behavior, especially at a time when he was chief of police, was a significant breach of trust not only to the victim and her family, but to the community.
When given the chance to make a statement, Collyer denied. Collyer’s lawyer noted he still maintains his innocence.
Collyer’s sentence also carries other conditions, such as year of probation, a alcohol and drug ban during probation, a no contact order with the victim and her family, and a weapons prohibition for 10 years with a lifetime ban on prohibited weapons.
Crown Attorney Roland Levesque said lots of factors were considered when coming up with the joint recommended sentence.
They had to look at how the case had affected Collyer’s life as well as the victim’s to come up with a reasonable term.
“Its turned his whole life upside down,” said Levesque.
“He’s lost his position as chief of police, and hes going to jail, which is not a pleasant experience for a police officer. Looking at his past, you can’t deny he’s done a lot of good for the community.”
But despite his past, Levesque also said the incident has caused a lot of trauma for the victim and her family.
“The impact is hard to describe,” he said.
“If you haven’t lived through that kind of traumatic event, where you feel betrayed by someone you’ve put all your trust in, who commits that violent act on you, it’s hard to put into words.”
Collyer will have to submit a DNA sample and register with the National Sex Offender Registry, which will last for 20 years.
